Bodacious Bulgari

by Diana Jarrett GG RMV

Rome’s celebrated house of Bulgari has been the go-to jeweler with jetsetting shoppers for decades. From its inception, Bulgari jewels flaunted distinctive traits that helped endear the brand to serious collectors. Their use of cabochoncut gemstones (with flat undersides and polished round domes), particularly with precious stones was considered iconoclastic when they debuted in the 1960s.

Bulgari’s bold pairings of disparate stone types and analogous colors like a bib neckpiece they created with turquoise, emerald, and amethyst stunned traditional jewelry fans. These daring design moves also helped high-jewelry collectors rethink their collection by wearing important jewels every day, not just on special occasions.

Global audiences soon developed a taste for Bulgari after seeing the bodacious jewels draped on Roman movie stars in the 1950s and 60s. When Bulgari’s influence broadened from Italian film goddesses to Hollywood divas like Elizabeth Taylor, their brand exploded. “Seeing Bulgari jewelry on Sophia Loren or Gina Lollobrigida boosted the brand,” an expert reflects. “Before Bulgari expanded abroad in the 1970s, it was the jeweler of Rome. So when jewelry lovers visited Rome they would go to Bulgari.” One of Taylor’s extravagant Bulgari jewels from Richard Burton is shown here on this page.

Emerald, diamond and platinum Bulgari necklace.
Courtesy BVLGARI

Later on, the shoulder-padded 1980s played the perfect foil to the Italian jeweler’s voluptuously proportioned gemstone chokers. “I think your jewelry is the 80s,” Andy Warhol once told company heir Nicola Bulgari.

Today, the Bulgari brand remains on-trend and avidly collected by the cognoscenti whose cultivated taste demands the best. They have evolved with the times to reflect the preferences of modern jewelry fans. Yet their dedication to exquisite old world craftsmanship is what makes Bulgari a timeless designer.

Naples jewelry lovers collect for the long haul. Many of our ladies establish signature pieces that are as much a part of their personality as their gracious smile. Perhaps that’s why we have so many devotees of Bulgari in our region. Find Bulgari treasures at Yamron, Naples.

Contact Diana Jarrett at diana@dianajarrett.com and read color-n-ice.blogspot.com